The No. 16-seeded Knights came to the Northwest Corner on Wednesday to give it a go against the top-seeded, undefeated Highlanders in the Class M boys basketball state tournament.

The Knights gave it a good go. And now they are gone.

Northwestern didn't play perfect. In fact, the Highlanders never could quite shake the pesky Knights in posting a 71-57 second-round win. But in the process, they showed the Knights what 24-0 looks like.

Carrying the torch was Connor Guiheen. A very big torch. Guiheen had one of the finest nights of the season, blitzing the nets for 30 points in an effort that included a trio of 3-pointers.

It was the highlight of the night, or rather, the late afternoon since the game began at 5 p.m. But it was far from the only light. Despite a subpar shooting night, John Stevens managed 12 points, and his defense was always a factor. And then there was Arthur Lefevre with a trio of his own 3-pointers for 11 points.

"They have a lot of weapons, and they're smart with the ball," sighed Flint. "They are

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probably one of the most unselfish teams we've played all year. They are a clear example that a successful team wins because they are unselfish. It is never about one player for them."

The Knights came in with no fear, but were a tad short in the weapons-defense system area. Matt Anderson's layup at the end of the first quarter gave Ellington a 17-16 lead. It was short-lived as Northwestern began to fire away in the second period.

It started on the defensive end as Stevens and Lefevre converted steals into layups. And after two foul shots from Ellington's Coby Harned, Lefevre nailed a 3-pointer for a 23-19 lead.

Now, about Mr. Guiheen. After a nine-point first quarter, he picked it right back up with a baseline 15-footer. He followed that up with a quick, behind-the-back dribble and another 15-footer. After Stevens scored on a layup, Guiheen was back with a layup and a line-drive 3-pointer.

It was all part of a vintage 17-3 run that vaulted the Highlanders to a 37-22 lead with just over two minutes left in the half. By the break, it was 40-31. Guiheen accounted for 18 of those points.

"I made some tough shots, but give the team credit. They got me the ball in open spots," said Guiheen. "Anyone, one through 10, can go for 20 on this team. Tonight was my night. In warm-ups, a lot of shots were going in. Shooters shoot and when you are hot, you keep shooting."

The lead never went below nine points in the second half. Every time Northwestern threatened to run and hide, the Knights reeled them back. On the other hand, every time Ellington looked like it wanted to get close, Northwestern slammed the door with its relentless offense.

Leading 50-40 with three minutes to go in the third period, Guiheen drove for a bucket and Lefevre buried a 3-point dagger from the wing for a 55-40 lead. At the break, it was 57-44.

The Knights hung around and still had hope, trailing 61-50 with the ball with five minutes to go. False hope. Stevens, looking like a big glider, swooped in for a layup, and Guiheen hit a pair of foul shots.

A 3-pointer from Kyle Gresh cut the lead to 65-53 with 4:24 left. But Phillips put back two offensive rebounds for a 69-53 edge and Northwestern was able to run out the clock.

"It wasn't the best we've played, but it was good enough to get it done," said Stevens. "We ran our offense well enough to get in the hoop, and we tightened up our defense in the second half."

Flint knew his team didn't play well enough, plain and simple.

"We didn't execute,' he noted. "We planned to be unselfish. We knew they were going to press and we were going to reverse the ball and move. On 12 occasions, we didn't do that. Northwestern did a good trapping us and beat us to all the 50-50 balls. Plus, they beat us off of the boards."

Sounds like the ingredients for 24-0. That and the propensity to score with anyone from anywhere. Next up is No. 9 Bloomfield in the quarterfinals. It helps to have an arsenal of this caliber.

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